PJS1 residents unhappy over delay of low-cost project

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SOME 276 longhouse residents in PJS1 near Old Klang Road plan to protest at the office of Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim if affordable homes are not built in the area.

Block E Buyers action committee chairman M.Sugumaran said they were unhappy with Khalid for not keeping his word to build the homes.

Khalid had promised to build affordable homes four months ago after the Selangor State Economic Action Council meeting on June 16.

Unhappy lot: The residents airing their grievances during a press conference held at Sri Ananda Murugan Temple.

“We have decided to send a letter to his office and if there is no reply, we will gather and protest,” said Sugumaran told reporters at the Sri Ananda Murugan Temple near PJS1 longhouse recently.

Sugumaran said the letter would also state the residents’ grievances as they had been living in the dilapidated longhouse for eight years now.

“The developer had blocked the main drain to carry out work on a project and after many complaints a new drain was built. But it was not good enough as it did not allow water to flow smoothly. This has resulted in flooding of the area.

“The roads are in bad shape and until now nothing had been done to rectify the problem, although we have complained to the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MBPJ) and the developer,” he said.

Sugumaran said MPBJ had issued a stop-work order for the project on May 30 to solve the flooding problem, but the developer did not adhere to the notice.

“We have been patient, but it has been eight years now and we are still waiting,” said S. Velan, 33, a bank officer.

“We have sales and purchase agreements (S&P) and are paying interests on homes that has not been built for years. How long are we going to live in such a condition?” he asked.

In need of help: The longhouses at PJS1 in deplorable conditions.

“There are not enough streetlights and the roads are not maintained by the council,” he said, adding that the residents had to cut the grass in the surrounding areas.

The residents are part of a group of squatters who were moved to PPR Lembah Subang and PJS1 longhouses eight years ago with the offer of low-cost flats. The flats have not been built.

It was reported on April 26 that 29 families at the longhouse had been asked to move out because the land has been earmarked for a school’s extension project but they remained there.

In 2009, the state government, MBPJ and developer agreed to revive the Block E project at an alternative site.

The state also offered the longhouse residents rental and moving allowance of RM14,285 (inclusive of monthly rental of RM500 for 24 months) to support them while waiting for Block E to be built.

However, the residents did not sign the new sales and purchase agreement for the units priced between RM35,000 and RM42,000 as they stressed that it would be their third and they had been paying interests on bank loans under the old agreement.